Oh, the hubbub, the hubbub, the hubbub about Kerry pointing out that Cheney's daughter is a lesbian. Oh the horror! What a load of crap, what a blatant misdirection. A few thoughts:

Dick Cheney said, "I am not just speaking as a father here, although I am a pretty angry father." And Lynne Cheney said, "Of course, I am speaking as a mom, and a pretty indignant mom." Amazing....they clearly have talking points about their faux rage!

Elizabeth Edwards got it exactly right, except that I don't believe in their professed outrage. But I'm glad to hear Edwards say: "She's overreacted to this and treated it as if it's shameful to have this discussion. I think that's a very sad state of affairs... I think that it indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences... It makes me really sad that that's Lynne's response."

(Mexico City) A prominent Mexican cardinal denounced legalization of same-sex weddings in an interview published Tuesday, saying it would be like considering cats or cockroaches part of a family.

Javier Lozano Barragan complained that defenders of same-sex marriage argue that people living together constitute a family, according to the newspaper Reforma.

"They even give cockroaches the rank of family now because they live under the same roof," Lozano was quoted as saying. "If there's a cat, a dog, two lesbians and everything living there, it's a family."

Lozano, the Vatican's health secretary, was complaining about a proposal by Spain's government to legalize same-sex marriages.

But the dean reserved his strictest condemnation for Dr Williams, because he holds liberal private views about homosexual relationships, even though he has struggled to uphold the church's unity by maintaining its traditional opposition to ordained gays.

"That's no good. That's total prostitution of the Christian ministry," the dean declared, to applause and cries of "Amen".

"He should resign. That's theological and intellectual prostitution. He is taking his salary under false pretences."

(Note: the same person also said, "as soon as you accept women's ordination everything else in the denomination declines".)

Lynne, c'mon, what are you waiting for? Speak out! Lynne? Lynne? Where are you going? Why are you running so fast?

Finally, amid the disgusting cynicism, sometimes you find something that gives you hope. I am fortunate to have had such an experience today when I read in my daily websurfing about A saddened mom's letter to her church:

She began: "Perhaps in some small way I can understand what a mother must have felt like, 2,000 years ago, when a group of people of her own religion decided to persecute her son."

[....]

Joanne's daughter and her partner already have left the Catholic Church. Joanne is ready to, despite years of loyalty. "How can I support a church that would discriminate against my child?" she asked me. "Maybe I should give my money to the Triangle Foundation" -- a metro Detroit gay advocacy group -- "someplace that would help my child instead of hurt her."

[....]

Despite the hour, the letter "just flowed out of me," she said. "I hardly had to change a word." She woke up her husband, a retired banker, and read it to him. He called it excellent. In the morning, she called her daughter, who cried to hear her mother's convictions and love.

[....]

"Many feel threatened by her. Not enough to kill her, but enough to make sure that she is set apart from the rest of society. Enough to make sure that she cannot fully participate in the advantages that 'they,' the normal people, fully avail themselves
of."

Although a state law already prohibits same-gender marriage, it continues, the church feels compelled to change the constitution to make sure gays and lesbians "will stop trying to live the same kind of lives we live."

"Let's make sure they not only can't marry," it says, "but they also can't obtain any type of civil union. Let's stop them from collecting benefits from their partner's insurance. Let's make sure they have no say in their partner's health decisions even if they've lived together for 20 years.

"Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, I look at my beautiful adult child... and I ask my church, 'What has she ever done or would she ever do to make you (like the Jews of 2,000 years ago) feel so threatened by her and others like her?' "

Joanne can find no answer to her question. She has no hope her letter will make a difference. But she couldn't stay silent, not this time.

Lynne, you could take some lessons in humanity from this wonderful woman. After you and the ghoul and the shrub lose the election, you'll have plenty of time to do so.posted by Dub at 11:49 PM

It's raunchy, and many would say it's disgusting, but it's hilarious, and somehow I think it's what a lot of us need to get through the next few weeks. "Join a band of male-prostitutes as they perform sexual acts on republican politicians and conservative pundits, all while uncovering dirt and furthering progressive causes" at I Screw Republicans.